Salar Jung Museum Hyderabad

Salar Jung Museum is located on the southern bank of Moosi River in Hyderabad, Telangana. It has huge & amazing collection of historical artifacts on display. The Museum is housed in two story semi circular buildings. Ground floor has large twenty galleries and first floor has eighteen. The bulding has libraries, reading room, conservation lab, sales counter and cafe as well. Guides are also availble for free at periodical intervals. On holidays Museum gets crowded. Nevertheless must visit place if you are in Hyderabad. 

It all started with Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III (1889 - 1949) who was the Prime Minister under Nizam's rule on Hyderabad. He spent a large chunk of his income on collecting artifacts from all parts of the world. He did so for a period of approx thirty five years. Total number of items is said to be over a million pieces. He passed away in 1949 leaving the private collection in Diwan Deodi, his ancestral palace later named as Salar Jung Museum. This was inaugurated by Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru on 16.12.1951. Subsequently in 1968 the Museum was shifted to present premises in Dar-ul-Shifa. It is one of the National Museums now.

Photos of a few items:

Salar Jung III & his personal retinue in clay

Salabhanjika. First or second century AD, Mathura in red stone

Replica of throne of Tut-Ankh-Amun, King of Egypt 14th century BC 

Samurai Warriors of Japan 19th century

Chinese Monks  

Street musician in clay

Wooden passanger bullock cart

British Army formation of WW I

Museum has a Clock Room having large number beautiful clocks & sun dials from many countries. One of them is of particular interest - British Bracket. It has mini mechanical device. Every hour a toy figure comes out from his 'room'& hits the gong & goes back. Large crowd waits for him at say 11 or 12 as he will hit the gong 11 or 12 times.

They have put up cctv screens & placed chairs in lobby so that more people can watch the little fellow hitting the gong. A very popular show indeed